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Mondays can be a bit overwhelming and I thought everyone could use a little inspiration. In hopes of giving it a different perspective and trying to start the week off on the right foot, I’ve decided to start Inspiration Monday. Every Monday I will introduce a word or thought to try and give a few minutes of peace and insight into Mondays. Maybe we can make Mondays a little more Fabulous and a little less dreary!

Today’s word is EMBRACE.…

That word kind of makes me sigh with contentment. There are so many things to embrace and I am going to list 10 of them. As always, I appreciate your input and would love for you to add any I missed in the comment section and start a conversation!

1. Embrace who you are. You may not always feel like it, but you are amazing and fabulous! Other people see it, it’s time you did too.

2. Embrace differences. Everyone is different and that is what makes the world so great. How boring would it be if we were all carbon copies of each other? Accept and embrace your differences and take it as an opportunity to learn something new.

3. Embrace opportunities. Be aware of what is going on around you. Sometimes opportunities present themselves and we are too busy focused on other things we let those opportunities pass us by. Or we are afraid to take an opportunity. Don’t be. Take the chance. Get to know someone new. Take a new job. Go on a trip.

4. Embrace each other. Don’t forget about the people closest to you. Your family. Your friends. It’s so easy to take them for granted. Pick up the phone and call your mom or dad, your sister or brother, or your best friend. Has it been too long since you’ve talked to someone? Find a few minutes today.

5. Embrace change. Life is all about change. Change can be scary and sometimes our knee jerk reaction is to fight it, but it’s inevitable. Instead, learn to embrace change and you will soar.

6. Embrace knowledge. Whether we realize it or not, we learn everyday. Don’t be afraid to ask questions and gain a better understanding.

7. Embrace the moment. Live in the moment. We are so busy micro-managing every moment of our days. We focus on what upset us 10 minutes ago, an hour ago, or a week ago. Or we are worried about tomorrow. Yes you have to plan, but there is a time and a place. Maybe at this moment, you need to be present. Be focused on the people you are with and the activity you are doing. Don’t be distracted by your emails, text messages, etc. Most of that information can wait until you are done with your moment and you won’t have missed a thing!

8. Embrace small things. A hug from a loved one. A random smile. A stranger holding the door open for you. The smell of lilac bushes in bloom. Five minutes of total silence where you can just close your eyes, shut off your mind and rejuvenate your soul.

9. Embrace your fears. Everyone is afraid of something. Spiders. Ghosts. Your mother-in-law. Accept that you are afraid of it, but approach it with an open mind and maybe your fears will go away. If not, it’s part of what makes you special.

10. Embrace the good things. What are the good things? Big house? Fancy cars? Maybe, but I think the good things are a loving family, good friends and peace of mind. If you don’t have those things, they are very attainable! Good things are waiting for you!

Go forth on this Monday and EMBRACE your life!

Have I forgotten anything to embrace? What did you embrace today? Please share them in the comment section. If there is an inspirational word you would like to see in the future, leave it there as well. You can always reach me at feelgood@chick-e.com

All our friends are going to parties and there is drinking there. I want to go, but I’m afraid I’ll get in trouble, even if I’m not drinking. What should I do?

Bored-But-Staying-Out-Of-Trouble

Dear Bored,

That’s a very good question. You want to have fun and hang out with your friends. I would like to tell you don’t go and just avoid the trouble, but let’s realistic about it. You may go to a party, where there was not supposed to be any drinking and find out when it’s too late that someone brought alcohol. There are a few things you have to consider before making your decision, which is ultimately up to you.

1. If the party were to get busted and the cops showed up, usually they take EVERYONE in. If they find you were not drinking, they would probably let you go, but they may call your parents first.

2. Also, many schools have very strict zero tolerance policies. If you are found to have been drinking at a party, even if it was off school grounds, there could still be repercussions at school. You could be kicked off your extra curricular activities, i.e. band, football, cheerleading, basketball, chess club, even suspended. This is a good time to mention, be smart when posting something on the internet! If someone posts a picture of you with alcohol, as a joke, and even if you didn’t have any, it may come back to bite you.

3. Most important, let’s discuss your beverage. This applies to everyone, all the time! This can happen at a party with your classmates, at a bar, wherever. If you have a drink DO NOT leave it unattended, EVER! If you go to the bathroom, make sure you have a friend hold on to it. Don’t just put it to the side. Someone could easily slip something into your drink. If someone seems to be trying to distract you, keep an eye on your drink! If you are at a party and even if you are not drinking, they may slip some alcohol into your drink, or worse they may slip a drug into your drink. There have been way too many cases where the date rape drug was put into someone’s drink when they weren’t looking and bad things happened. Have fun, but don’t be careless and don’t give into the peer pressure.

4. A good policy to have is to have a an agreement with your friends that you will look out for one another. If one of you is acting weird, or maybe one of you ended up drinking (on purpose or on accident) make sure your are there each other and get out of there. Get home! Everyone has cellphones now, make sure it charged and with you at all times.

Weigh the good against the bad and if you decide not to go to the parties, that’s okay. Hang out with your good friends and do something fun!

I am considering sending a sexy picture of myself to a guy that I like. I’m trying to get his attention and get him to notice me. What do you think?

Invisible But Worth Seeing

Dear Invisible,

What do I think? I think…NO!! NO!! NO!! Don’t do it. It may seem like a silly or fun thing, but if you think a guy – any guy – is going to keep that to himself, you are WRONG! Whether he does it to show off, to make fun of you, or if one of his buddies is going through his phone and finds it, he WILL NOT be the only one to see it. Have respect for yourself. If this isn’t something you would do face-to-face, DO NOT do it over e-mail, texting, Facebook, etc. It will become an embarrassing situation for you and you cannot take it back.

My boyfriend cheated on me. He says he wants me back, that it was a mistake and he’ll never do it again. I want to trust him, but I don’t know what to do!

Answer:

You need to take a little time for yourself and think, without anyone talking in your ear. Take time to think about how it made you feel and are you willing to let him do that to you again? I would suggest you get together with your best girlfriend(s) and have a break up party. Play great break up music (such as Taylor Swift’s, You Should Have Said No) and take time to cry and take time to get over it. Then move on and find someone who can see the amazing person you are. This guy is not for you.

No, that is not true and do not let them pressure you into it. It is a form of sex and you can pick up a disease from it. If guys are pressuring you and your friends, stay away from them. They do not respect you and you need to realize how amazing you are and you deserve someone who can see that too.

My boyfriend and I have been going out for a while and he has started pressuring me for sex. I don’t think I’m ready and I don’t know what to do. I don’t want to lose him.

Answer:

I don’t know how old you are, but no matter what age, a guy should NEVER be pressuring a girl for sex. If you aren’t ready, wait. There’s not specific age, but I’d rather you wait until you are 18, or later. I may not seem like a big thing, but there are repercussions for your actions. If you aren’t ready to take care of a baby, don’t do it. Most importantly, if I guy isn’t willing to wait, he doesn’t really care about you. That may not be what you want to hear, but it really is true. Remember, when and if you decide you are ready, I can’t stress enough the need for protection. If I guy suggests doing it without protection, run the other way!